Gulf Coast Beauty

The Blizzard of 2011 hit us pretty hard here in Chicago. We were pelted with 20+ inches of snow over a 20 hour period. 55 mph wind gusts howled and whirled throughout the duration of the monster storm. We even experienced thundersnow! The bitter cold arrived overnight with a low temperature of -6 degrees. After all of this, I am certainly dreaming of the tropical paradise of Florida.

This is my final entry in a series of posts featuring the lovely birds of the west coast of Florida.

A regal Great Blue Heron flies over Sarasota Bay

Pretty profile ~ Snowy Egret

An Osprey and its impressive nest

A dollop of moist sand rests upon the beak of a tiny Sanderling

The close up view of an elegant Great Egret

A graceful Great-blue Heron wades in the pond shallows

A most splendid sight ~ Great-blue Heron

 

The Willet is a common bird seen along the powdery white sands of the gulf coast

 Sharing a peaceful moment at the pier ~ Great Egret and Snowy Egret

The colorful profile of a stunning Great-blue Heron

A freshly fluffed Snowy Egret

Happiness is vacationing along the gulf coast of Florida!

Fine Florida Feathers

Today I offer post 3 of a 4 part series featuring fine feathered friends seen along the gulf coast of Florida.

Quite the expansive stretch for this stately Osprey

The interesting profile of a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron ~ We saw this beauty walking amongst the mangroves

This long-legged Great Blue Heron is a most elegant wader

A tiny Sanderling skitters along the frothy waters of the Gulf of Mexico

A perfect place to perch and dry feathers for this long-necked Anhinga

A pretty Black-bellied Plover walks amongst colorful coquina shells

Beside the pond, a Wood Stork pauses momentarily

The lovely profile of a Great Blue Heron

A lone Short-billed Dowitcher enjoys an afternoon at the beach

A Brown Pelican flies aloft (November 2009)

A striking White Ibis basks in the early morning sunlight

A Double-crested Cormorant delights in a cool beach breeze (November 2009)

Reflections

This post is part 2 of a series featuring many lovely birds seen while vacationing in Longboat Key, Florida, a beautiful tropical paradise.

An elegant Snowy Egret casts a most resplendent reflection

A striking Great Blue Heron enjoys a beautiful day at the pond

A pretty Snowy Egret shows off its lovely feathers

Two White Ibises preen at the water's edge

A sightly Great Heron wades in the shallows

A Northern Shoveler delights in a morning swim

The stunning reflection of a Mute Swan

The perfect mirror image of a Wood Stork

A delicate Snowy Egret in flight

A most pleasing Tri-colored Heron

The appealing reflection of a Great Heron

The golden reflection of the setting sun shows off the lovely silhouette of a Great Heron